China solar exports witness 35% year-on-year slide in January

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Solar component exports totaled around 4.45GW in January 2020, up slightly from around 4.41GW in December 2019. However, exports in January 2019 were just over 6GW, indicating a 35% decline, year-on-year. Image Q CELLS

Exports of solar products from China in January 2020 were around 35% lower than in the prior year period, according to an accumulation of official export data, recently released. 

Solar components shipped overseas from China typically include a number of products such as PV modules, inverters, junction boxes and aluminum frames. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Solar component exports totaled around 4.45GW in January 2020, up slightly from around 4.41GW in December 2019. However, exports in January 2019 were just over 6GW, indicating a 35% decline year-on-year. 

Factors at play in the decline in shipments this January include market shifts, seasonality issues and a relatively early Chinese New Year, not simply a consequence of the initial outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, which is a major industrial centre that includes a number of leading PV manufacturers. 

But the significant decline in Chinese solar shipments in January looks ominous for exports in February. The extended Chinese New Year, due to COVID-19 and further restrictions to manufacturing re-starts, notably in Hubei province and the general supply chain disruptions across parts of China have already led to component shortages within China and have quickly surfaced in other PV manufacturing countries such as South Korea. 

Official figures from China at the time of reporting show that COVID-19 has killed 2,715 people, with 78,000 having caught the virus in China. While the epicenter of COVID-19 in Hubei province continues to report deaths, levels have apparently dropped to their lowest to three weeks ago.

The majority of PV manufacturers with operations in Hubei province have donated to various charities in support of medical efforts, especially in Wuhan City, since the outbreak. However, no public updates on the manufacturing operational impact from COVID-19 have been noted from these companies. There could be specific restrictions in place that have prevented companies from making such announcements.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies has commissioned its 1.2GW TOPCon solar cell manufacturing line at Fab City, Hyderabad, Telangana.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
Solar developer Lightsource bp has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a subsidiary of Taiwanese energy firm HD Renewable Energy (HDRE).

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece